A much-loved Gainsborough mum-of-two who lost her brave fight with cancer has been given the perfect send-off.

Helen Robinson refused to give up despite doctors telling her that she could have as little as a year to live after being diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer in March 2015.

She defied those predictions and in June last year revealed to Lincolnshire Live she was hoping to raise £103,000 for immunotherapy in Germany - where she was told there was a 60 per cent chance she could be cured.

Sadly her condition worsened and on Valentine’s Day, February 14, she passed away at Grosvenor House in East Stockwith where she had previously worked as a care worker.

A special motorbike rideout was also held, filling the roads in memory of Helen, who was a keen biker herself.

Karen Parker, a friend of Helen’s who helped organise the rideout, said: “The main thing is that Helen had wanted to ride a motorbike since she was about eight years old.

“A year ago she contacted me out of the blue and she had been following my journey of doing my compulsory basic training and getting my little 125cc then onto my bandit 400, and thought I was brave – this was coming from a cancer patient!

"She told me she would love to do it, so I asked what was stopping her and gave her my instructor’s number and her own biking journey began.”

Ms Parker said the biking acted as a release for Helen to forget about her condition, even for a short while, and that’s why they felt it fitting to do a rideout in her honour.

“Helen was out on her 125 every chance she got,” Ms Parker added.

“She said it made her feel normal and made her forget about the cancer. It made her feel free.

“Eventually, Helen did her A2 licence but she didn’t have the strength to move the 600cc bike from one space to the other on her mod one test, so she did it on the 500cc bike, which was lighter.

“She only got to ride her 500cc Kawasaki Er5 bike twice, but it was worth it.

“She enjoyed our rideouts – we all did.”

Among those also in attendance at the emotional service were fellow cancer fighters who had taken inspiration from Helen’s battle.

Friend Phil Kitchen said: “Blyton Church was packed to the rafters and there were several rows of standing mourners.

“The sight of so many bikers was amazing. Helen loved biking.

“There were a few [cancer fighters] there. One lady from Nottingham, who travelled over, said how much of an inspiration she was and knew about me and our 80 plus trips to London.”

A one minute’s applause will be held in Helen’s memory before the Gainsborough and Morton 10k on March 24.

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